Putin backs Egypt military chief's run for presidency; John Kerry's visit to South Korea, China and India hoped to ease regional tensions; China plans to curb coal consumption and reduce air pollution; five killed in Venezuelan anti-government protest; 65 prisoners released from Bagram prison over US protests; and more

"The 85m-strong society (of which 45m are under 35, and two-thirds of that group are in their teens) is being transformed. It is more connected to the world, more opinionated, daring, and commercially and socially entrepreneurial. No central power can control such a society for any significant period of time. These factors will inevitably weaken centralization," writes Tarek Osman in the Financial Times.

"It is hard to blame Egyptian elites for their predisposition to curry favor even if it violates privately held principles and beliefs. There is no reward for dissent in Egypt. It might get an activist a ringing and eloquent defense on the editorial page of the Washington Post, making him or her a Beltway hero (for a few days), but that will hardly make up for the onslaught that said activist will undoubtedly face within the Mehwar. Confronted with the choice, some brave Egyptians have spoken out, but many more have chosen instead to burnish their pro-coup credentials, calculating that it will ensure them a place (and the attendant benefits) within the new regime," writes CFR Senior Fellow Steven Cook.